STRONGER HEARTS.LONGER LIVES.

Our mission is to provide funds for groundbreaking research that will assist young men afflicted with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. ​

MD weakens all muscles. Without a cure, the most important muscle, the heart, will fail. If we can look at numerous hearts and map the progression of scarring and the weakening of this vital muscle we can hopefully extend lives until there is a cure! ​The funds we provide are helping doctors identify early muscle damage, especially in the heart, and develop better treatments to help keep boys stronger and healthier longer.

RYAN BALLOU

30 years old and living with DMD, Ryan has spent his adult life spreading awareness about his disease. ​​Ryan has been participating in the OSU heart mapping trial since 2007.​

Since age five, I have been afflicted with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), a degenerative muscle disorder that affects all muscles within the body. Because of this debilitating disease I am confined to a motorized wheelchair and have very little strength. My family and I have had to cope with this disease and all of its complications my entire life. In 2007, with the help of my father, we created Ballou Skies.

Together we can achieve our goal of healthier hearts and longer life spans. We can battle the disease and, through our efforts, gain insight and create treatments that could help counteract the affects of this debilitating disease.